Love that Lasts
by FelicityPendragon
Summary: George listens to Draco talk to his brother's coffin. He discovers the two were in love and watches as one says goodbye. One-Shot. Please leave reviews!


George wiped the stray tears from his face with the back of his hand as he made his way back into the room where Fred's coffin lay. He came to the door and heard muffled sobs and stopped in his tracks, wondering if his mother or father had gone in to have a private moment as he had intended. Slowly, as to not disturb the mourner, he pulled the brass door handle and the door opened slightly to allow George to see who was crying so heartbreakingly over his twin brother.

He saw a hunched figure, suit clad shoulders shaking as he buried his blond head in his hands. George almost slammed the door open as he realised who the man was, Draco Malfoy, the blood traitor. He was about to enter the room to throw the sorry excuse for a person out when he heard the quiet voice of Draco travel across the room as he began to speak to Fred.

'Hey Fred.' Draco whispered his voice still shaky with his tears but Draco had long ago decided that if anyone was worth his tears, it was the funny, red haired man named Fred. The man he had loved for two years.

'I remember the day we went on our first date, you know. You were so conflicted about having feelings for someone who was a Malfoy and I remember having the shakes at the thought of my father finding out but I still wanted to see you. I missed your eyes and your laugh, who knew Draco Malfoy was such a sap?'

George was frozen by the door as he listened to Draco's words which washed over his shocked form in a melodious current. His brother had dated a Malfoy? How could he? Why didn't he tell them? George remained in his spot by the door, careful not to make any noise, hoping to uncover more about whatever the relationship had been between his brother and the traitor.

'I was so broken that first year, scared of the dark lord killing me or my family and I did so many things I regret. Yet, you stuck by me, you saw how much I was hurting and you helped me. You didn't shun me for what I did and I loved you for it.' Draco paused as tears collected in his eyes again but he shoved them away. He had been sobbing for days and he needed to tell Fred how he felt, even if he couldn't hear him.

'The memories of you and our times together were the only things that got me through that year and I want to thank you for that. I wanted to tell you that it as you who stopped me in the end. I never told you but I went up to that tower to kill Dumbledore and I would have done. I was so scared for my family but your words echoed through me, _your life is your own, Draco. Don't let anyone tell you what to do. _I didn't kill him, despite knowing my family could die, because I couldn't bear to let you down.'

George felt himself smile in spite of himself as he imagined his brother's compassion, helping someone who was so obviously lost in his time of need. He closed the door quietly and stepped into the room, sitting on the back bench so that no one would see him spying on Draco.

'The year I took off school, I was scared for you and your family. Strange I know but they loved you and how could I hold a grudge against anyone who loved you even a fraction as much I did. I was angry all the time with my family for being so compliant with the dark lord and with myself for not being as strong as you. You helped me again. I was able to keep some of the death eaters away from Potter and your family because of you and I know you kept saying it was me but you were wrong. It was you who had the strength and I just used that to do what was right.'

George felt his breath catch in his throat, hearing that a Malfoy had helped his family but he still felt that he was a traitor, he still walked across that courtyard to you know who when Harry was thought to be dead. He didn't stay on Fred's side when he wasn't there anymore.

'I am so sorry, Fred. I am so so sorry.' Draco allowed one sob to go through his body as he apologized to the man that he still loved with all his soul. 'I am sorry that I couldn't save you. I am sorry that I went to my parents after you were gone. I was weak and scared and without you, it didn't matter what I did anymore. I know that it was disrespectful to your memory. I should have been strong for you, just like you would have been and it is just another thing that I will regret for the rest of my life.'

George felt sympathy creep into his heart, despite his best efforts to remain angry and he felt himself soften towards the heartbroken man. Even if he had still been angry, he couldn't hold a grudge against the Malfoy boy as by the sounds of it, Fred would have wanted him to forget his grudge and move on.

'I will never forgive myself for letting our time be cut short. I wanted to live the rest of my life with you by my side, making me laugh when we revealed our relationship to our families, who would no doubt disapprove.' Draco let out a humourless laugh as he imagined what that could have been like. 'I wanted to get to know all you odd habits, like your love of carrot and crisp sandwiches. I wanted to love you with every fibre of my being until the day I died and I guess I still will, the only difference is that you won't be there with me.' Draco gave up his last effort to hold the tears back and let them slide down his face freely a he got the last words of his speech out.

'You were my everything from the day you kissed me in that little muggle café we snuck off to the day I lost you. I promise you that I will never forget you. I promise that you will live in my heart for the rest of my life. I promise that I will do everything in my power to make up for what my family and I did in the war. I promise I will make you proud.'

George smiled as he heard Draco make his promises and made one of his own. He would get over his prejudices and anger, maybe it would take a while but he would do it. When he had, he would seek out Draco and maybe they could talk about Fred, just as he would have wanted them to.

'I love you, Fred and thank you for everything you gave me, even when I deserved it least.' Draco stood and walked over to the coffin and laid his hand over the polished wood. He then walked out the side door without another word, leaving George alone, wondering as to when he had grown to forgive the man he had considered a blood traitor.

When Draco married Astoria Greengrass, he remembered Fred and silently wished for a moment that it could have been him he married.

At the same time, George stood by his brother's gravestone and said, 'I think it should have been you instead' as he clutched the invitation that he had received a few months back in the post.

When Scorpius Malfoy was born, Astoria wanted the middle name Hyperion but Draco quietly suggested Fred and seeing the pain in her husband's eyes, allowed it.

George received a picture of a little boy two weeks later with a name in the back that made tears well in his eyes. He had made a copy and placed it on Fred's grave under a rock.

Years later, George went with the family to platform nine and three quarters and saw a blonde haired boy come up to him. He introduced himself as Scorpius and handed him a little note before running off into the fog.

_George,_

_As you know, I am a coward so could not say this to you in person, you look so much alike that your face is just painful, even after all these years. I want you to know that I don't mind what you heard in that room, in fact I am grateful. I know that Fred loved you and I wanted you to know that it was for me he kept the secret, not for wanting to keep things from you._

_Thank you for also keeping this secret, I need to remember it fondly and I couldn't if people looked down on Fred for it._

_Sincerely,_

_Draco Malfoy_

The letter was a treasured possession of George's for his entire life and after another ten years, Draco and he became tentative friends, meeting every so often until they became brothers in their twilight years.

Their families never really approved but after Scorpius married Rose, they were more accepting and Draco became an irrefutable presence in all their lives.

When George died, Draco sat at his funeral with all the family and imagined how it would feel if he had Fred by his side, clutching his hand in grief but also love and trust.

Until Draco himself died ten years later, there was always a bunch of flowers on the twin's graves and passers-by wondered who had loved the two for the past sixty years.


End file.
